So this is actually a re-shoot of something I did for an assignment in my college photography class. It was meant for the social commentary segment, and I think it clearly states the message that the sport of baseball has forever been altered by the use of performance enhancing drugs. I am a huge baseball fan (second only to hockey) and I am saddened to see this beautiful game go through what it has over the past few years. I don't feel bad for the players though, as most make more that I can even dream of.
Photoshop was real simple. Curves, hue/sat to make the stitching redder, cloned out on bright spot on the syringe, burned some bright stitching so it would not distract, resize, usm, save for web.
I really hope this shot does not get beat up for being so serious, as I'm sure that there will be lots of joy portrayed in the games challenge. I guess I'll just wait and see.
Statistics
Place: 33 out of 123 Avg (all users): 5.8256 Avg (commenters): 6.7500 Avg (participants): 5.7241 Avg (non-participants): 5.8772 Views since voting: 1032 Views during voting: 333 Votes: 172 Comments: 18 Favorites: 0
Good take on the challenge. It obviously meets the challenge, I think, as it is about a game, but it also tells a story, or has more purpose than just a picture.
Compositionally, it feels a bit tight, cropwise. I think extending the left and right side a bit (more on the left) would give it a bit more room and make it feel a bit more balanced. I do like how the overall composition moves diagonally through the frame -- this gives it some "movement" and it is not as static as it would be if the needle were lying beside the ball.
Technically, the exposure seems pretty good. I think the lighting, overall, could be a bit more dramatic to make it feel not as flat. Also, it seems as if the needle is leaning toward you (or perhaps away) and that makes it fall outside the focus plane. Since the needle is as important as the ball, I think, if it were focused it might be more effective. Another interesting twist would be to shoot it so that the needle were focused and the ball was not.
An excellent take on the challenge, and very nicely done.
I LOVE this. But I'm sorry for the low vote. I like the texture on the ball, and as a first look I liked this a lot better. After examining the image. The angel is off, the balance is off, and the position of the seringe is off. You have good photographic talent. But your eye for art/studio balance is obviously not the best...
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